People with food allergies or people with children who have food allergies, how is living long term in Japan? How difficult or not difficult is it for you? How do you manage in a place that is mostly unaware of food allergies?
For starters, I’d like to say I have lived in Japan for about 1.5 years and have food allergies, most notably wheat which is in soy sauce and just about everything else here (salad dressing, ham, curry, all kinds of stuff). Due to this, eating in restaurants and in general is quite difficult and many things you would think are safe are not due to Japan putting soy sauce and wheat into everything it feels like 😂. Allergy labeling has gotten MUCH better since I studied abroad in 2017/2018, but that doesn’t change the fact that there is still a lot of food I can’t eat. My difficulty eating in restaurants has mostly notably affected my social life, as people don’t know what to do with me or don’t want to sacrifice their food experience while traveling (I make it clear I’m totally okay going to a conbini while others go to a restaurant but it makes others feel bad I think).
At the moment I have wonderfully supportive coworkers and am blessed that rice flour baked goods are popular in my area, but it does severely affect my social life and makes life more challenging (like I need to make bento every day and can’t cheat with frozen side dishes). Allergies aren’t well understood here so my neighbors accidentally give me wheat frequently (sharp eyes of other neighbors have saved me on multiple occasions) plus of course my food options are much more limited. Are any of your guys living the allergy life and managing long term? I’ve met ALTs with food allergies but not so many long term residents with food allergies.
16 comments
It’s definitely very difficult. One of my coworkers is allergic to seafood and wheat while my mom who visited recently is allergic to onions/garlic/chives as well as gluten.
It made eating out a pain in the ass but there’s some workarounds. For the most part shabu shabu and yakiniku are safe and sushi/kaisen-don is always doable and eating out at a chain izakaya definitely would’ve been possible since there’s pictures for her on the menu (trying to explain everything on the menu when my English lexicon doesn’t have words for some of the foods here is rough)
I just made sure to bring gluten free soy sauce with me for my mom whenever we ate out and 0 restaurants had a problem with us sneaking some soy sauce in.
A surprising amount of restaurants were also very good about accomodating (or at least attempting to) her dietary restrictions even if we didn’t put it in ahead of time. I can’t speak for other areas, but a lot of shops in Tokyo are definitely pretty good about adapting to dietary restrictions and in more “hip” places like Harajuku and Roppongi there’s some REALLY good gluten free places.
Even in America though she really struggles to eat out and usually insists on bringing a salad anywhere and everywhere she can. It’s part of adapting to life with allergies I suppose especially when said allergies are incredibly sensitive.
It’s pretty much a challenge.
Concerning children with allergies, I know in my experience, many schools are very accommodating to children with food allergies or religious restrictions nowadays.
Canola oil allergy is pretty rough. I’m now especially trying to avoid cheaper deep fried foods if I don’t know what oil was used, but it also is used by places trying to make food cheaply in general, so randomly getting hit by that is fun.
I’m allergic to fish, and I’ve been living here for around 20 years.
Somehow, I am still alive.
My son has nuts allergy but it’s generally ok not used too often as long as you avoid walnut salad etc
It’s not like Japanese people don’t have food allergies. Most if not all chain restaurants will have a list of ingredients and allergens in their food. Smaller places are hit and miss, but if you have the language level, you can explain to the staff.
I’ve never had a huge problem, if something comes with a food I can’t eat even after asking about it, I’ll ask the staff and they will usually remake it or give me something else. The only inflexible place I’ve ever been to was Goemon, apparently they’re only allowed to make things on the menu, so no changes at all (for example, pasta with bacon? Can’t take the bacon out no matter what). The other “problem” is places that only microwave premade foods like cheaper family restaurants or Mister Donuts. They obviously can’t change anything.
My allergies aren’t deathly though, so your tolerance and experience may differ from mine.
My husband is allergic to shellfish and other similar creatures. He grew up here and has yet to die, but sometimes gets hives after eating in restaurants.
I’m lucky enough to have outgrown them, but as a child I was incredibly allergic to egg and dairy among other things (dairy allergy =/= lactose intolerance), so Japanese food (specifically sushi, sashimi, and other raw fish dishes) ended up being a rare source of protein that I could eat largely without worry.
It’s a real challenge, but I feel like people are very kind, accommodating and helpful when asked, especially in hotels. Nowhere else in the world has a chef/restaurant manager sat down with me to plan five days worth of menus. I feel embarrassed to inconvenience them, but at the same time really grateful. I’ve never had an issue travelling or eating out when planning ahead, but also don’t expect to have elaborate dishes. I do always have some snacks on me, just in case. Also, I will make it a point to research restaurants beforehand and mark them on maps, or at least make suggestions that I know will work, makes it easier for everyone.
Whenever I am invited to someone’s home, I’ll politely ask whether they mind if I bring my own food. Then, I’ll bring enough for everyone to share.
I can’t have gluten, soy, vinegar, seafood, red fish, red meat, certain nuts/beans/vegetables, MSG, etc. so it’s really restrictive, but luckily not deathly. I never walk into a restaurant without checking the menu prior, and then I’ll double check again in the restaurant, but I go out pretty frequently and find that izakaya/yakitori type of places are easy, since it’s possible for them to omit certain ingredients. Same with sukiyaki or shabu shabu. The most difficulty is with kaiseki menus or chains that have pre-made food.
My child has insane food allergies and has grown up here after spending the first couple years in their birth county. It’s easiest to say what’s not an allergen than what is.
Adjustments were required, but they have had no real issues. Friends understand and there are choices to be made when eating out that work.
Japan has definitely taken huge leaps forward in labelling and allergy accomodations over the past ten years or so.
I had a vegetarian friend who had the hardest time explaining to the staff at restaurants that she can’t eat meat.
“Is there meat in this dish?”
“No”
“Ok I’ll have that”
“Dish arrives topped with bacon”
“Umm… this is meat…”
“No it’s bacon”
Eventually we learnt to just tell the staff “meat allergy”. The dreaded “a” word made everyone take things seriously. And she had a much easier time.
The point is, as long as you communicate things I’m sure you’ll be fine. The restaurant has a responsibility to its customers like that.
I have a severe dairy allergy and imo I had it way worse in the US. Though I think that’s where I differ with someone with a wheat or fish allergy or sesame, US loves dairy like how Japan loves those things… I went back to visit family and ended up in the ICU and felt “my god, I have it *so good* back home” before even thinking about the 20k USD bill that comes tacked onto that experience.
I guess the only cons are that people aren’t as knowledgeable here as in the west, and it’s impossible for me to get some things here that I took for granted (BREAD!?!? dairy free versions of typically dairy items? BREAD AGAIN), but I don’t really mind the whole explaining myself to people over and over again, or just leaving if I don’t feel comfortable eating somewhere. You just need to be able to advocate for yourself, which is difficult if you aren’t comfortable speaking Japanese (and in my experience, most short term residents are in that demographic).
With work events it varies. Generally I am taken into account, but I recall one time a dumbass ojisan at my old job planned a nomikai, and despite asking him over and over if he made sure I can eat the course menu, he assured me it’s fine. I even offer to call the place but he’s said nope it’s ok! I ended up being allergic to almost everything on the course, and just angrily subsisted off of sides of fries and edamame. Karma had my back though and everyone who took part in the nabe got the flu. In the US too, shitty people like that existed and I even had reactions at work dinners, so, that isn’t really a Japan thing.
Eating out with people is ok, washoku is generally safe. It also helps that I don’t give a shit what other people think wrt the fact my restaurant options are limited. If my friends want to get sweets or go to saizeriya or whatever they can plan it on their own time, it’s their problem not mine.
One weird (good) thing I HAVE noticed is that my partner (and exes too) are way more accommodating, cutting dairy out of their diet completely without even being prompted or asked to do it– which was not the case when I lived in the US
Saba and soba allergy here. I’ve eaten an entire large bowl of soba with soba tea at a restaurant during lunch and that’s how I found out… it was a nightmare. The saba one is random I feel like because I quite enjoy other fish but saba makes me break out…
Just wanted to say that for people who are allergic or sensitive to wheat but you still want to use soy sauce you could try ‘tamari jyoyu. ‘ you can Google it. Basically it is a type of soy sauce that doesn’t include wheat in its processing.
I use it. I think I might prefer it. It’s probably a little heavier but for new it has a deeper taste. It tastes like shoyu.
Not everywhere carries it.
Yeah! I’m so curious about this too. I’m visiting Japan in a few months and I have a bad sesame allergy, not sure how it’s gonna pan out